Never Say Die

Product Description

The black and white hawk eagle is a rare sight at Banana Bank. When one started canvassingthe area, it caught the attention of even those who do not normally notice birds.. As he perchedon a high branch in a tall tree, his large size and distinctive markings spoke a certain messagebut we didn’t read the script.

The mealy parrot was sitting on a post near the chicken coop preening his feathers.. A piece of chicken wire clung to the post and in the fashion of most back yards, dropped and sagged from obvious neglect, sheltering some baby chicks from the hot sun. Suddenly with no warning the parrot screamed and the sound became airborne. In disbelief I watched as the hawk eagle rose higher and higher, with his cargo, a flapping blur of bright green. The screaming stopped, Francisca’s pet of several years was obviously headed for the great beyond. The big bird circled higher. Suddenly a green parcel fell from the sky and with some flapping sufficient to break the fall, hit the ground. Everyone within earshot rushed to the injured bird that was flailing helpless, one wing pitifully limp. His eyes were bright however and whenhis owner extended a hand, the bird put his beak on the finger and pulled himself up. Carefullywe looked for injury as there was no blood to be seen. Very slowly we raised the droopywing to reveal a gash about two inches long.

The wound, although large, was not deep, and the parrot lived. The hawk eagle stayed for afew more days and then left.

The incident has been an encouragement to me at times when I have felt like giving up. Onething I know is that the hawk eagle did not accidently drop the parrot. His talons were firmlyembedded but somehow the parrot even as the end seemed inevitable, was able to force theeagle to let him go, perhaps by biting him on the tendon that runs from the back toe of thethree towed foot and strengthens the eagle’s powerful grip.

At times in life I’ve been carried away. Circumstances beyond my control transported me highabove my ability to cope. Usually flapping and flailing causes the adversary to tighten hisgrip had only serves to deepen the wound. Panic sets in and precious time and energy is wasted. The answer is usually to seek out that very small point of truth, grab on to that and bear down, gripping harder and harder until all those inner doubts, fears, lies,self pity, lame excuses, should have done’s, might have been’s, hate, resentment, jealousy,anger are forced to loosen their grip. There will be a dizzying plunge to reality and probably some talon marks but with that a new confidence, an awareness of the sanctity of life, and the assurance that I am a victor rather than a victim.